News:

Your username and password for these discussion forums are unique to the forums. Your forum login information is separate from your My Adventure Cycling login information, and your login info for the Cyclosource online store. You will need to create a separate login for each of these. However, to make things a bit easier, you can use the same email and password for all three accounts. Also, please note that your login information for the forums is not connected to your Adventure Cycling membership number. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

We have blocked registrations from several countries because of the large quantities of spam that originate there. If the forum denies your legitimate registration, please ask our administrator for an exception. webmaster@adventurecycling.org will need your IP address, which you can find at many web sites, including http://whatismyipaddress.com.

i know you said freestanding, but you might give this a look at: www.moosejaw.comthe terra nova zephyros 1; incredible price, additional 5% off with code: RMN5i bought one mostly to use the fly as a tarp.cheers!

when you buy "the milepost", they will give you a code that makes their digital version available from their website.unfortunately, it only reads from south to north- very irritating for those going the other direction.enjoy!

if you would like to lounge around the campsite and be on the internet for long periods of time, i recommend a "hotspot" or "mifi" type device available from any cellphone provider. it is a rechargeable, stand alone, small plastic transmitter to find a wifi signal through the designated carrier. you are usually allowed up to 5 devices per account.for the no contract option you will have to pay full retail price for the device, and then what ever they charge per GB. this isn't cheap, but it's convenient.depending on your route, AT&T or Verizon may have the best coverage. i would check their websites.this has worked well for me with my ipad, ipod, iphone and husband's galaxy tablet, also laptops in the past.i would suggest setting up the device in the store, connecting your devices, and making sure there aren't any problems before hitting the road.cheers!

i used Primus cannister fuel all through my japan tour. i bought my stove especially for the availability of the fuel.i googled "sporting goods store" or "camping store", and then checked what was offered. i think snowpeak is actually a japanese brand.enjoy, hokkaido is fantastic! the "mishi no eki" will become your best friend-it is an amazing rest stop area with food and toilets. i've even camped out back!i also recommend a strong set of lights (many, many tunnels) and a kickstand-leaning bike against stuff is discouraged.regards,janet

try getting a bike fit at from a bike shopride less milespillow under or between knees, under neck (laying flat is awful for a tight back)cyclobenzaprine 10-20 mg (flexeril, a mild muscle relaxant)ibuprofenmassageit sounds like you're getting in to a tightening habit that doesn't get any relief good luck! i find 10 mg. of flexeril and 400 mg. of ibuprofen for a few nights early on in a tour keeps me from getting in to bad habits from over exercising and poor sleep.janet

2 people really need two doors and two vestibules, especially if one door/zipper goes bad and you have to sew it up.if your trip is less than a month, you could probably get by with squeezing in together with regular discomfort. once you get past 4 weeks you might consider splurging a bit for bigger space.if your companion is large, snores, flops around or keeps weird hours you might want two small tents.i'm eyeing the easton kilo 1p.cheers

I don't find it hard at all to find cannister fuel, though the larger sizes are more difficult to locate. I travel with one large one, and a backup that can be smaller, if necessary. Most are universally connected to any stove- i did have to update my device to enjoy this convenience. The empty canisters are now recyclable, if one has the proper emptying tool.I would recommend surfing several of our outdoor stores to check for fuel compatibility with your stove:Www.rei.comWww.ems.comWww.sportsmanswarehouse.comLet's hear it for the box stores.Regards, janet

If nerves will keep you from sleeping, I recommend investing in a high strength bear spray (and keep it at hand) some bear bags such as "aLokSac" (www.loksac.com), and staying away from established campsites as much as possible. Even if there is nothing from which to hang the food bag, at least things will be packed in multiple layers.I've found the worst campground pests are the small gnawers that come out at night. Beware the rodents!Cheers, janet

I sent some touring motorcyclists there on their alaska-to-Argentina trip, they loved it.Would recommend you're ready for fire road type conditions, be fully self-contained.Enjoy-i cycled prince of wales island in SE alaska, very closely related.Cheers,Janet

pack tent in one waterproof bag, ground cloth in plastic bag that will be dirty, fly in another bag (may be wet and need drying later in day), poles and stakes (replace stock stakes with something stronger) separately stored to avoid puncturing things. unless you have bought a tent specifically for short length poles to fit in a pannier, you most likely will strap them crossways on the rear rack or along the top tube.cheers!

I had an Asus eee tiny pc for a bike trip in Japan 2 years ago. it was easy to carry and worked well. However, now that I have an iPad with 3G I wouldn't consider any other device. It would make the need for a gps obsolete, as there are a ton of gps and tracking apps. The only concern might be data usage in Europe when not on wifi. I have heard about cheapish temporary data plans out of England that might work and could probably be found if googled. The original iPad is being sold off for sale prices in some locations.I have my iPad in the apple case, which fits in a padded sleeve and then a 2 gallon ziplock for pannier/backpack/dry bag travel.